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Riparium Supply
About
Riparium Supply
Riparium Supply is a product line of Xantusi Design LLC, a family-owned company in Madison, Wisconsin. Our work includes the development and manufacture of plant-care products for use in aquariums, with particular emphasis devoted to ripariums. We are keenly aware of the aesthetic, educational and healthful benefits of planted aquariums and we are as passionate about the aquarium hobby as we are about our new business. We strive to support aquarists with high-quality products and rich informational materials.
What is a riparium?
A riparium is a planted aquarium system that emulates wet habitats found along the edges of lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. This zone hosts characteristic vegetation comprised of marginal plants, which are rooted in the saturated soil at the very edge of the water and hold their leaves up in the air. Many marginal plant species bear showy flowers and attractive foliage: some are popular garden pond specimens. Since they provide abundant food and cover from predators, marginal aquatic areas in nature are characteristic habitats for many popular aquarium fishes.
While ripariums employ some of the same design elements and cultural techniques as traditional planted tanks, they are planted into partially-filled aquariums, tanks holding water to about 40% of total depth. Hanging and floating planters comprise the core of the riparium planting system. The planters and other hardware are formed from plastics, foams and other synthetic materials, but they are designed such that they blend in with the aquascape and quickly become obscured by growing foliage and plant roots. With a few minor modifications, most of the other equipment and materials used in traditional planted aquaria—including tanks, heaters, power filters, lighting and substrate—function well in ripariums.
One can also draw a distinction between ripariums and paludariums, which are an established aquarium gardening genre. Like ripariums, paludariums incorporate terrestrial and aquatic elements, with live plants adorning both areas. The terrestrial portions of paludariums are built up with rocks, driftwood or synthetic materials. In ripariums, on the other hand, the land area is only implied: the above water portion is rendered solely with live plants.
A thoughtfully composed riparium presents a unique and engaging planted aquarium display. Ripariums can also offer relatively low maintenance in comparison to other techniques along with several other potential benefits. An especially compelling aspect of riparium culture is the flexibility that it affords to explore plants, livestock and design options that have seen limited application in traditional planted aquaria.